Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-24
THE COLONEl,s STORY.
His RecOlIectiOns Of a Strange Ex-
perfence Thirty Years Ago.

| LOCKED IN A ROOM WITH A MAD SENATOR AND A
| NURDERous KSIrE-THE STORY or A DUEL-How
THE SENATOR WHO HAD KILLED HIS MAN WAS
HAUNTED BY THE MEMORY OF 1T, ETC.
"Do you know sah," said the hotel-corridor
colonel as he helped himself to-the crackers and
| cheese on the bar, ~ was thinking, as I CHANGED
| TO meet you, OF strange experience that had
before the wah Let's sit down hean," said he,
| pointing to round table near the window, within
sight and sound OF the bar. Lets sit down heah.
sab, and enjoy quiet chat. It's too early TO go
anywhere, IL you will pardon the liberty take,
| sab, in presuming that you were not engaged
when had the pleasure OF meeting you, sah?"
THE STAR reporter reassurfngly replied that his
time was at their mutual disposal, and
| then he called same" to the something"
the colonel had already ordered. pleased
| smile stole far as the coloners nose,
giving to Il new color. He deprecaungly lifted his
| hand In the air ana then let 1t drop upon the
table. where It toyed with the toothpick holder.
| There was short pause followed by Two gurgles.
xviii you permit me, sab? Nor Then, allow me
| TO thank you, sab You are a true gentleman,
sab However, when we sat down was about to
| tell you OF a strange experience that occurred to
| me shortly before the late unpleaSantneSS, In
which, II you will pardon the DEPRESSION. sab,
lost over one hundred OF the finest Diggers In the
state OF Jo-ga-" After an outburst against the re-
| suits OF the war the colonel paused for several
near him. He seemed TO have forgotten ali about
| the strange experience he had started to relate
| until his companion reminded him OF 1t. Then he
| apologized profusely for his seeming lack OF
| courtesy, declaring in a sympathetic tone that
| ''tine and hard work were fast reducing him to
| the condition OF an animal"
THE COLONIES STORY.
'Before the wah," he resumed, II represented
the blankth district OF the state OF JOg1a sah in
| the national legislatah, and in my time
have been the frieDd-yOu will pardon me II say
Intimate friend OF the greatest and nobest men In
| the nations history. Among them were senator
/ Reeb, OF MissOorah, and Gen. Bill Bankson, OF
Texas. Both are dead and am all that is left OF
a circle that sparkled with wit and learning. Sen
| ator Reeb was perfect gentleman and a scholar.
| He could make one OF the finest speeches that IL
has ever been my pleasah TO hear in the halls OF
i Congress, and his honah as a gentleman was never
| questfoned-pardon me. sab, / am In error. 1t
| was questioned once and he washed away the
days the senator occupied a suite Of hsndsomeiy
/ furnished apartments In Blagden's Row, which
! was In the fashionable part OF the city. His
| particular friends were Gen. Bill BanksOn and
| myself.
| DECEMBER NIGHT
| 1.-THE night on which ! had my strange expert
| ence was, IL my memory serves me right, In the
latter part OF December, 1858. Early In the even
ing, with my wife and another lady, I went to pay
social call upon my friend, Gen. Bankson, who
had a handsome house In the upper part OF the
| city. There we net, among a number OF delight
| ful gentlemen and ladies', my friend Reeb. We
spent the evening very pleasantly In light game
OF cards In which several OF the ladies joined and
along toward IL o'clock my wife suggested that We
had tier return home But our host would not hear
OF our leaving the and after persistent urging by
him and mutual friend Reeb. we consented to
remain Till later After We had concluded our small
game, we had some fine music by several OF the
ladies, VINO. by the way, had delightful voices, fol-
lowed by light refreshments. In q joking way
senator Reeb suggested that go home with him
and spend the night. My wife joined her entreaty
with that OF the senator, and finally. as 1t was not
The nrst time that had been absent from home
over night, on legislative duties, however, con-
sented upon the promise OF my host that he would
| AT THE SENATOR'S HOUSE.
about ~ O'Clock the party broke up, and
together, the senator and i set out on foot, as 1t
| was a lovely night, for the Senator'S apartments
In Blagden's Row. We walked very slowly, en-.
| Joying the calm night discussing the different
| bills that were pending in which we were inter-
ested. Arriving at Bagdens Row he uShered me
into his apartments with the greatest courtesy,
and there We sat for some time enjoying quiet
| smoke. The sound OF the clock striking two re-
minded me that had better go to bed and I
| begged his permission TO retire. He showed me
a luxurious sleeping chamber and babe me get
Into bel without ceremony, as he desired TO ad-
dress few letters that he had written during the
| a quickly as possible and Was soon in bed. For
time lay there expecting every moment that he
him writing In the front room, but, growing very
| Sleepy. / turned over In the bed and re-
solved Ito to go TO sleep; l don't know
/ Perenced in my sleep an uncomfortable
and half-unconscious feeling that something was
wrong. The feeling oppressed me nightly, and
| IL seemed TO me that was pursued BY a yelling
maniac. who was making frantic efforts to kill me-
| Just as IL seemed TO me that the maniac was
| about TO plunge his knife into my heart / awOke
vita start BY Cad. san! If I live hundred
years shall never forget the sight that met my
\ eyes when awoke sufficiently TO remember where
| / was Since that awful night have been in many
battles, nghdng for my home and possessions, and
In those dreadful days OF war never felt half the
| fright that took possession OF my senses when I
awoSe In that strange bed and In that strange
| house.
| WHAT THE CoIoSrr s.w
"Ugh." shuddered the colonel hastily swallow
l Ing some more OF the 'isame" that had been de-
posted, unobserved by him, at his elbow. There,
In the middle OF the room. with knife In his right
| hand, stood the senator. His face was the color
| or white cloth, and the muscles were working I'm a
| manner that made me sick with fear He was
| crouehing, as II about 10 spring upon something,
| and MS eyes glittered and rolled about In their
| sockets like those OF maniac. suddenly. with a
| snarl Ike an enraged animal, he sprang into the
air, cutting and cleaying 1t with his knife and
screaming In hoarse accents, Keep on Keep of
/ say" In fearful alarm rose up In bed and
shouted to:him 10 know what was the matter But
! screaming and cutting at some unseen object. he
| crouched upon the floor, with his eyes fastened
nrst upon one side and then on another, as II TO
ward on attack from enemies that were attacking
him from all sides His boly swayed back and
forth Ike panther at bay. and every few mo-
Ike an epiieptic IN '1 conva na struggle Ss
| can imagine my feelings at that time.
| ieIt that was Gagged with maniac, and ex-
4
Inc and Kill me. The moments were like ages
SUN and rigid with terror, lay there as helpless
| as a babe.
"For ten minutes must have lain there watch
| Ing him. Meanwhile he had sprung cat-like from
one SIDE 10 the another, shrieklng and cutting the
| air, only palslng as wave OF Commissions passed
| over him. Then heard the rush OF feet and
| voices Ia the house below, and putting all my
| strength into one scream for Help Jumped over
| the back OF the bed and ran into the front room.
| could not unlock the door leading into the hail
| and splirred on by the yeils and screams of the
maniac, shouted and kicked and beat al the door
until IL seemed as II would go mad n some one
did not come, and then the door was burst omen
from the outside and fell unconscious among the
people who had come in response TO my calls
! don't remember anything that occurred between
| opened my eyes for the rrst time TO
md myself at home and In my own room
with my dear Wife at my bedside. / lay there for
! several DAYS, weak and helpless from my night of
1 horror. Whenever Thought OF IL my brain Terled
| well, sab, II was week before was able to re-
sumo my place In Congress, and then the first man
| met In the Capitol that day was Senator Reeb I
must nave BETRAYED some terror at sight OF him for
/ ne turned deadly pale and passed me WIIhout
speaking. met him several times after that and
As ne never referred TO IL In any way and acted "a
| II nothing had occurred, began TO think thaf N
was all deiusiOn or that IL had been a nightmare
THE STORY OF A DUEL
| 81 did not see Gen. Bill Bankson for nearly
month after that, the colonel went on "as he had
gone 10 Texas TO look up some matter for his con.
\ stituents. When he returned the matter had
passed from my mind In the pressure OF imDOrtant
i TO tell me about some OF the famous duels t5af
A had happened down his way ann from Than, no